1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner supply cartridge for use in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine or a printer.
2. Prior Art
A toner supply cartridge typically includes a cartridge body which contains toner therein and has a toner fall aperture formed in the bottom face thereof. The toner fall aperture is closed with a slidable shutter.
The toner supply cartridge is replaced when little toner remains in a hopper provided in a developer unit of an image forming apparatus. After the cartridge body of a new toner supply cartridge is set on the hopper, the shutter closing the toner fall aperture of the cartridge is slid so that the toner fall aperture is opened. Thus, toner inside the cartridge body falls into the hopper from the toner fall aperture thereby to be supplied into the developer unit.
The replacement of the toner supply cartridge requires a two-step procedure including the steps of: removing the used toner supply cartridge from the image forming apparatus and then setting a new toner supply cartridge in the image forming apparatus; and sliding the shutter of the new toner supply cartridge. This procedure for the replacement of the toner supply cartridge is troublesome for a user unfamiliar with the cartridge replacement.
Further, if the user forgets to close the toner fall aperture with the shutter when the used toner supply cartridge is removed from the image forming apparatus, residual toner adhering on the interior of the cartridge body falls from the toner fall aperture and scatters around.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve the aforesaid technical problems, and to provide a toner supply cartridge which ensures easy replacement thereof and assuredly prevents a user from failing to close its toner fall aperture.